Listen to Robert Emmerich introduce "The Big Apple," a hit song from 1937. Music written by Bob and performed by Tommy Dorsey's Clambake Seven with Bob on piano. Lyrics written by Buddy Bernier and sung by Edythe Wright. Audio provided by Dorothy Emmerich.

The debt problems of the United States have frequently been compared to the credit card problems of average Americans. References have been made to America’s “national credit card” since at least the 1984 Democratic National Convention.

Google BooksOfficial proceedings of the 1984 Democratic National Convention : George R. Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco, California, July 16-19
Edited by Dorothy Vredenburgh Bush
Washington, DC (1625 Massachusetts, Ave., N.W., Washington 20036): Democratic National Committee
1984
Pg. 458:
Mondale and Ferraro run against a President and I (Elizabeth Mitchell, of Maine—ed.) run against a Senator who took our national credit card and borrowed $530 billion from the national bank, went on a weapons spending spreee and gave $250 billion in annual tax bonuses we could not afford to wealthy individuals and corporations.

New York (NY) TimesDemocrats Are Critical Of Reagan Budget Cuts
Published: February 17, 1985
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16— Representative Jim Wright of Texas, the House majority leader, said today that Americans were ‘’willing to sacrifice’’ to bring the Federal deficit under control, ‘’but only if they feel those sacrifices are evenly shared.’’
(...)
‘’The American people do not want to keep on charging on a national credit card and sending the bills to their children,’’ he declared in a radio talk after President Reagan’s weekly broadcast.

Even the decreased taxes we were given during the eighties only served to run up an enormous national debt, which our children and our children’s children will have to pay for us, and led us to believe we were in a state of prosperity when we actually just living on a big national credit card—and one which must eventually be paid off in full.

Hunh? Wasn’t it the last twelve years that more than tripled the deficit? We finally have a President who is serious about making significant changes in the way we’re treating the national credit card, and he’s blamed for not being able to perform miracles?

Then you and Congress rack up the national credit card, declare the eighties a prosperous decade, and downplay the fact that the bill will come due.

Google BooksWe Can Do Better:
How to save America’s future - an open letter to President Clinton
By Paul Simon
Bethesda, MD: National Press Books
1994
Pg. 63:
But the bills are starting to roll in on that great big national credit card that we’ve been using so irresponsibly.

That’s what this issue is about. The previous congresses made the ‘minimum payment’ and still spent on the national credit card. The Republicans are ceasing the increased spending and cutting back so we can have the cash to reduce the deficit.

TIME TO PAY OFF BALANCE ON NATIONAL CREDIT CARD DEBT
(Mr. McINNIS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. McINNIS. Madam Speaker, the national credit card now carries a balance of $5.5 trillion. Now, just in case those listening thought they heard me wrong, let me say that again. It is a trillion, $5.4 to $5.5 trillion, not billion, dollars in debt.
(...)
I would like to invite fiscal conservatives on both sides of the aisle, both Republicans and Democrats, to work together on a bipartisan method to control spending, to cut wasteful programs, and to make government smaller. It is time to start paying off the balance on our national credit card debt.

Morning Sun (Pittsburg, KS)Lawmakers react to spending cap increase
By MATTHEW CLARK
The Morning Sun
Posted Feb 05, 2010 @ 12:41 AM
(...)
“America’s credit card is maxed out,” said Tiahrt (U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kansas—ed.). “We are tired of footing the bill for President Obama’s big bailout programs. The reckless nature of spending on programs we do not need paid for with borrowed Chinese money is driving jobs overseas. This is the third time the president will raise the national debt limit since taking office last year.”

Constitution Party of MissouriOur National Credit Card is Maxed Out
April 22, 2011
Most everyone has at least one credit card. We know how credit cards work and we know the results if we use them irresponsibly. So we are going to take an imaginary journey in credit card fantasy land.

Red CountyOur National Credit Card Has Been Stolen
By Pat Wayman (Colony Rabble) on May 21st, 2011
The United States is operating as if they have a credit card. Congress, specifically, the House of Representatives, has the authority to use this credit card. Unfortunately, congress has either knowlingly given signtory power away, or it has been duped into giving it away. Either way, we are in trouble! Our federal credit card has been stolen right before our eyes.